Job That Will Allow Mom to Make Money While Traveling

Being a mother is one of the hardest jobs around.

From ensuring that all of the baby’s needs are met, from eating to sleeping, or even considering going on vacation with the little one, it can be a really tough balancing act.

Nowadays, that position is made even tougher by the increases in cost of living. This has made it necessary for a lot of moms to pursue work while still raising the kids. Thankfully, help is at hand in the form of a profession that provides flexibility and structure at the same time, all while helping all mothers keep on top of the bills.

That vocation is known as teaching ESL, or English as a Second Language. There are now more ESL teacher jobs than ever before, so this is the perfect time to start thinking about this wonderful career opportunity. Read below to find out more!

What is ESL?

Simply put, ESL is the teaching of English to those who grew up with a different mother tongue. For example, while people living in the USA, Canada, or the United Kingdom are typically brought up with English as their first language, those in other nations may not have been.

This creates a huge gap between the globalized business and education world, which is dominated by the lingua franca of English, and the billions of individuals who need the language to function successfully in their professional and personal lives. Thus, the massive need for dedicated, energetic ESL teachers.

Where can an ESL teacher work?

The easy answer is, pretty much anywhere!  Of course, one easy decision to consider is moving to another country to teach ESL. This allows the ESL instructor to be in the classroom with their students, as well as soaking up the best of another culture in person.

For a mom, this also provides the additional benefit of exposing their children to the ways and traditions of another society at an early age. This should provide the ideal platform for any child to become a more globally aware citizen, arming them with opportunities galore to become as compassionate and empathetic as possible.

As a small caveat, there are some nations where it might not be practical to work, given such massive differences in temperature, religion, or dress code.

For example, a family from Arizona might find it challenging to move to a much colder country, so this ought to be taken into consideration by any mother considering this huge life change.

Can an ESL teacher work online?

Absolutely, an ESL teacher can work online. Although, it should be noted that many online recruiting platforms (as many offline schools and academies) do require an ESL certification before working. A thorough ESL program can be found online, and provides the best start for any potential ESL instructor.

They are typically designed and run by experienced ESL professionals, who have already been in the same position before. This means that they completely understand the ups and downs of the job, and create the qualification in line with anticipating these needs.

They are also adept at responding to ESL queries, from vocabulary and grammar, all the way to classroom management.

Furthermore, teaching ESL online allows flexibility with regards to travel, making this a great career option for a mom. As difficult as it can be to arrange going on vacation with kids, this career path enables the chance to work around the kids’ schedule easily.

So, if your children are early birds, then perhaps a few hours in the middle of the day could be the best solution. By contrast, if the little ones are night owls, then a spell working early in the morning before they rise might just work better.

What are the benefits of teaching ESL?

First of all, the financial aspect can not be ignored. An ESL teacher who is willing to work hard and put in the hours to get properly trained and teach lots of classes will have a great chance to earn a tidy income.

As a mother, the extra cash could go towards that next vacation, or simply go into the piggy bank for a rainy day.

Additionally though, there are other perks to becoming an ESL teacher. One of these is the ability to broaden one’s world view and see things from multiple perspectives.

This can be something as facile as exchanging basic language with an ESL learner, to exploring a piece of cultural importance in depth, such as discussing Picasso’s art with a Spanish student, or comparing notes on Victor Hugo with a French learner.

Last but by no means least, being an effective ESL teacher is a lesson in the art of time management and clear presentation. As every lesson is different, so are the requirements and demands of each individual studying the language.

This creates a good pressure for an ESL teacher to be on top of their game at all times, skills which directly dovetail with being a great parent. 

Who can an ESL teacher teach?

In theory, an ESL instructor can teach pretty much any student who wants to learn the language. The ages can range from kindergarten learners, meeting a second language for the very first time, to retired men and women who are merely looking to pick up a new hobby.

As a parent, though, it is likely that some form of preference will have been established along the way. Perhaps a mother formed a wonderful connection with the infants at a young age, and wishes to transfer all that knowledge into helping younger ESL learners thrive. For those moms, the energy and passion of those little ones will be a perfect fit.

On the other hand, some mothers may well prefer to teach older learners, such as teenagers or even adults.

It is indeed possible that working with kids all day in the form of parenting is so intensive that a change of pace is required. For these mothers, teaching a more mature pupil is absolutely the right way to go.